Posted on 02/15/2007 4:39:06 PM PST by WestCoastGal
Wild last lap crash in Daytona 500 raises questions
http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-nascar-onracing&prov=ap&type=lgns
By MIKE HARRIS, AP Auto Racing Writer
February 18, 2007
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Where was the yellow flag?
NASCAR's rules dictate that the field order is frozen the moment the yellow flag flies and the caution lights come on around the track. On Sunday, in the key moment of the Daytona 500, the green flag stayed out as chaos ensued.
Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin raced the final few hundred yards to the finish line at close to 200 mph, separated by just inches. Just behind them, seven cars crashed, and those still in the big lead pack banged and bounced off each other.
Harvick, declared the winner of NASCAR's biggest race by .020 seconds, said he wasn't thinking about the color of the flags.
``Mark got back in front of me for just a split second there, and all I was thinking about was getting to the finish line,'' he said of the two-lap overtime dash to finish the race.
After crossing the line, Martin, sounding stunned, said on his radio: ``They waited. We were ahead. They just left the green out while they were wrecking.''
Later, Martin said he wasn't waiting for a yellow flag and never slowed down.
``NASCAR was doing their best to get an exciting finish for the Daytona 500,'' he said. ``I had no idea what happened behind me. I was ahead when they were wrecking. My spotter said they were wrecking. My focus was basically on beating the (No.) 29 (Harvick) to the line.''
Asked if he thought the race was over when the cars began crashing behind him, he said, ``I never saw a yellow flag, and I kept racing with everything that I had. I've been racing for over 30 years. I know one thing for sure, I never thought twice about the prospect of the race going yellow.
``I could hope, because we were ahead at one time, coming off the (fourth) corner we were still ahead.''
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the yellow flag did not come out until after Harvick and Martin had crossed the line, even though the crashing began when the two leaders were a couple hundred yards from the finish.
He explained it by saying the cars that were crashing were ``already off the track and on the apron,'' adding NASCAR did throw the yellow flag when Clint Bowyer's Chevrolet flipped onto its roof, slid through the grass and caught on fire.
``At that point, the 29 was ahead of the 01 (Martin) and had taken the checkered flag,'' Poston said.
That explanation didn't please everyone, but Martin, a longtime NASCAR star, said he wasn't going to complain.
``Nobody wants to hear a grown man cry, all right?'' Martin said. ``That's what it is, and I'm not going to cry about it. That's the end.''
It was a weird finish to one of the wildest Daytona 500s ever.
The race was pretty dull through the first 150 laps, with two caution flags for minor incidents and the field running mostly single file. After darkness fell and the cars began to handle better, the race got, well, racier.
There were five multi-car wrecks in the final 50 laps, including the big one at the end.
The wild finish was set up by a three-car crash on the backstretch just five laps from the scheduled 200-lap distance. NASCAR red-flagged the race long enough to clean up the mess in turn two, restarted the cars under caution and didn't put the green flag back out until lap 201 for the two-lap overtime dash -- what they call a green-white-checker finish.
As the leaders drove off turn four, Kyle Busch, who started the final lap just behind leader Martin, skidded out of control and hit Matt Kenseth. Before the melee was over, three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon, two-time winner Sterling Marlin, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler and Bowyer all were sitting battered in the grass.
``It looked like the (No.) 5 got loose, and then we all wrecked,'' said Biffle, referring to Busch. ``It's the biggest race of the year. You wait until there's 10 to go, and you go. That's what I did.''
Jeff Burton, Harvick's RCR teammate who somehow got through the crash unscathed, called the final wreck a shame but said, ``The risk versus reward ration changes as the laps wind down.
``At the end, we're racing harder than we should. There's just not enough grip to take it that last step, and you saw what happened.''
``I hate late-race cautions in restrictor-plate races,'' Burton said. ``I was happy to see it because we needed it, but you know in the Daytona 500, it's going to get ugly.''
This one was uglier than most.
NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, lower left, and Mark Martin, lower right, battle for the finish line as a multi-car crash happens behind them during the Daytona 500 race Sunday afternoon Feb. 18, 2007 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Harvick won the race.
LOL yah. It does seem to have gotten a lot calmer around here since the keg ran out. Maybe we need more Cheesy Poofs next week.
Tied for first you are - not too shabby
Beginner's Luck!!!!
Right now trying to up date my anti virus with little success. Not sure if I'll be on-line much today as I'll prolly screw it up to a fair thee well.
Hardin: NASCAR call at end doesn't make sense
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070219/NEWSREC0105/702190312
Looked to me like he was either trying to help the old man win, or else he was trying to protect his 2nd place spot knowing that he couldn't make the pass. Harvick snuck up on everyone with a great move catching Busch the younger off guard. He reacted to it way too late. He should've just got on Martin's bumper and worked together to keep their lead.
Ya know if the 88 and 29 tightened up a bit, the 07 could fit in there too.
I like the caller on Wind Tunnel who said IF they would have thrown the caution people would have been mad too. If they dropped the caution when Kyle started wrecking Harvick was ahead anyway.
They let the two leaders race for the win which is the fairest way to do it....Mike Joy
CA: NASCAR Fans, Start Your Engines ("non-political" talk) ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787389/posts
The haulers are on the way to California.
:-)
Bet there's 40 more drivers with the same opinion, only Smoke and Rubberhead had the combination.
So..what happened to Blaney? #22-Dave Blaney and the team ran into misfortune on lap 185 of the 200-lap Daytona 500, as Blaney drive down pit road to avoid an accident on the frontstretch. With a flat right-front tire, he was unable to avoid making contact with several cars as he exited pit road. After making a lap around the track, he headed back to pit road for four fresh tires and to give the Caterpillar team the opportunity to review any damage the contact may have made. Unfortunately, NASCAR officials were none too pleased with the speed the Caterpillar Toyota reached on pit lane while trying to avoid the accident, and after first assessing the team a five lap penalty, they then decided to send the #22 to the garage for the remainder of the race. Blaney was credited with a 34th-place finish.(BDR PR)(2-19-2007) Jayski
As it should have been! I would definitely prefer Mark Martin to have beaten harvick, though.
That was one great race! I used my moms tivo, now I have to go get one for myself. I managed to cut an hour and a half of crap out.
The race started out a bit slow and then built to a final big ending. :)
It was good, I only wish so many had not wrecked on my FR team. lol
Bay Area Man Killed In Apparent Road Rage Shooting
Posted Feb 19, 2007 by Vidisha Priyanka
Updated Feb 19, 2007 at 03:43 PM
By GEOFF FOX
The Tampa Tribune
Video: Road Rage Incident
A Land O’ Lakes man was killed after a near-accident on Interstate 4 resulted in a physical confrontation followed by gunfire, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.
The 9:20 p.m. incident happened after Eric Houk, 36, of 4048 Marchmont Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, and his brother left Daytona International Speedway, where Kevin Harvick edged Mark Martin in one of the closest finishes in Daytona 500 history.
Houk was shot to death after he inadvertently cut off a Ford Explorer while avoiding a wreck, the Volusia sheriff’s office said. Houk’s brother was not named in the sheriff’s report.
Three Jacksonville men fled the scene but were later arrested.
David Edwards, 21, was charged with second-degree murder. Charles Onasanya, 18, and Ronlee Harvin, 21, were charged with principle to second-degree murder.
The men were being held without bail Monday at John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County, where they were arrested.
According to the Volusia sheriff’s office:
Houk and his brother were traveling west on I-4 when Houk swerved to avoid vehicles that had stopped ahead.
In avoiding a wreck, Houk inadvertently cut off a Ford Explorer that was traveling in the emergency lane.
Words were exchanged after both vehicles stopped.
Then, it got physical.
Eric Houk fought with Onasanya until Onasanya went back to the Explorer and got a gun. He pointed the gun at Houk, but dropped it.
Harvin picked up the gun and passed it to Edwards, who fired a shot in the air.
As Houk walked toward him, Edwards fired twice, hitting Houk at least once in the stomach. Houk was pronounced dead at Florida Hospital DeLand.
Edwards, Onasanya and Harvin then fled.
A man who answered the telephone at Houk’s residence Monday said the family declined to speak with a reporter.
http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/newswire/story/authorities-suspect-road-rage-in-fatal-shooting/
Yost wasn't the only crewman injured Sunday. Jeremy Geiter, a crewmember on Mike Wallace's #09 team, suffered an injury to his left foot and ankle after being struck by #26-Jamie McMurray during a pit stop on Lap 176. Geiter told ESPN.com that he and the #09 team were pushing Wallace from the pit stall when McMurray, pitting behind them, pulled out and ran over his left foot. Geiter said doctors informed him he might have a hairline fracture, but that a sprain and bruise was likely the extent of the injury.(ESPN.com)(2-19-2007)
The NASCAR.com website hasn't even been updated for the point standings for the 2007...they osculate!
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Just thought you'd like to know. :)
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